Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Monday, May 13, 2013

A homemade substitute for Heinz chili sauce made with tomato sauce and paste, lemon juice and a mix of seasonings.

Homemade Chili Sauce

I was already nearly done with stacking groceries on the belt at the grocery store, when I remembered that a couple of recipes that I wanted to make use bottled chili sauce. Doesn't that always happen?

A quick glance near the checkout told me it wasn't gonna be close enough at hand to just do a run and grab, so rather than having to get back in a line for a couple of items (and probably finding another handful of things I really didn't need along the way), I decided I'd just go home and try to make up my own homemade version.

You may have noticed that I like using chili sauce in just a few recipes:

Really, it's a great substitute in many recipes where you would normally use a little ketchup.

Now... just to clarify, chili sauce is not what you think of when you think of the word "chili." There are also no beans involved in chili sauce such as with a product called chili beans, and it's also not the same as the red sauce that we use in some Tex-Mex dishes, such as red enchiladas. It's really a tomato based condiment, somewhat like a dressed-up ketchup I guess.

Now... I personally love the flavor of Heinz chili sauce, don't get me wrong. I've used it for years, I'll certainly continue to use it and it'll always be a handy go-to, but if you find yourself with a recipe that calls for it and you're in a bind and without, this sauce can be made up quickly, right from pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand.

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You're welcome Jerry! If you try it - let me know what you think. I think that I came close, but I didn't have a bottle for comparison, so I'm liable to play around with it a little more on down the line.

I made this recipe times 4 the other day and used some in your baked beans already. They were delicious. I froze the rest by the cup and defrosted the first one today for your grape jelly meatballs. It thawed perfectly for me and tasted very good, like it had just been prepared. I like one of the comment's above regarding freezing lemon juice. Great idea, would like to try that sometime. Can't wait to try this with your ain't no thing chicken! Thank you!

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The classic southern plate for supper is made up of meat and three, cornbread or rolls & a tall glass of sweet iced tea.

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